The Rams walked out of the preseason with a clean 3-0 mark, and the bigger story was what happened underneath that record. Yes, the preseason doesn’t tell you how a season will end. But for a team that has clearly chosen to push hard in the present while keeping one eye on what comes next, the way the depth chart held up mattered.
That was especially true in the finale against the Los Angeles Chargers, where the Rams matched up well with NFL starters and rotational players before turning the game over to rookies and fringe roster pieces. The result wasn’t flawless, but it was a solid proving ground for a roster that had to show it could absorb the usual preseason churn and keep functioning.
The most eye-catching name from the final game was rookie quarterback Matt Caldwell. In a quarter of mop-up duty, he went 5 of 10 for 31 yards and a touchdown, while adding 16 rushing yards on three carries. Caldwell left early with an injury, which sent Ty Simpson back in to finish the job, but the rookie’s performance suggested he’s more than just a camp body.
Up front, the backups made a strong case for themselves too. Across three preseason games, the Rams’ offensive line never gave up a sack.
The offense piled up 1,024 yards and 67 points, and the reserve linemen helped open the door for 90 rushing attempts that produced 432 yards and three touchdowns. No one is pretending they were better than the starters, but they certainly looked like a group worth taking seriously.
The defense’s reserves also did their part. Over three preseason games, the Rams allowed only 30 points, a number that speaks to a unit deeper than many expected at key spots. That kind of showing doesn’t mean much in the standings, but it does say something about the overall shape of the roster.
Running back Dean Connors also stood out. He kept finding positive yardage and made his presence felt in two of the three games.
Listed at 5-foot-11 and 206 pounds with a 4.45-second 40-yard dash, he brings a physical style that shows up in the way he runs through contact. In the preseason, Connors carried 26 times for 96 yards and moved the chains 10 times.
He also caught seven passes for 53 yards and three touchdowns.
Rookie receiver CJ Daniels added another encouraging note. He finished the preseason with 18 catches on 24 targets for 128 yards, and he did it while working with all four quarterbacks.
Daniels has been a steady bright spot since camp opened, and his summer production matched the buzz around him. With starter Matthew Stafford, the Rams expect that connection to keep growing once the games start to count.
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Rams Face Tough Final 53 Calls After Roster Shakeup
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For players on the bubble, the wait now becomes the story. Wesley Bailey, Tim Keenan III, Tanner Ingle and Cam Lampkin are among the names still in limbo as the Rams weigh whether they fit better on the active roster or the practice squad, and those calls often come down to details that never show up in a box score. With the roster in flux after the trade, the final decisions will say as much about the Rams' immediate plans as they do about the futures of the players fighting to stay attached to them. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Let One Kicker Slip Away And Fans Still Feel It
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Los Angeles, meanwhile, has spent the years since cycling through multiple options without finding the same kind of stability. That contrast has made Dicker an easy touchstone for fans who still wonder what might have been if the Rams had been willing to be a little more patient, and it is the sort of missed opportunity that tends to linger when the kicking game keeps drawing attention for all the wrong reasons. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Suddenly Have A Stetson Bennett Question They Can't Ignore
The Rams have spent enough time juggling roster decisions this season that even a backup quarterback spot can turn into a conversation point. Stetson Bennett remains part of the picture, but he still has not been officially named the No. 2 behind the starter, which has only fueled the kind of speculation that tends to follow teams trying to sort out the edges of the roster. Add in the recent trade involving Jarquez Hunter and Tutu Atwell, and it is easy to see why every move is being read as part of a larger plan.
Still, the chatter around Bennett has outpaced the actual reporting so far. There have been trade proposals floating around, but no reputable insider has confirmed that the Rams are actively shopping him, and the team has also shown it is willing to factor injuries into trade negotiations when the right deal comes along. For now, Bennett sits in that awkward middle ground where he is clearly relevant to the depth chart, but not yet locked into the role that would quiet the outside noise. [Read more 🡒]